On 16 March 2026, the Institute of Alcohol Studies published a new film that turns the spotlight on the alcohol industry’s conduct in the Global South. The video argues that as alcohol markets in wealthier countries have become saturated and more tightly regulated, major multinational companies have shifted their focus towards Africa, Asia and Latin America. According to the film, this expansion is not simply about selling more products. It is about building new markets in places with younger populations, rising incomes and weaker regulation, while the health and social harms remain in the countries where the alcohol is sold.

A central message of the film is that this industry push has gone hand in hand with rising alcohol harm. It highlights that in many countries in the Global South, fewer people drink than in the West, but those who do often drink more heavily. The film points to growing consumption and serious health consequences in countries such as India, Vietnam and the Philippines, and describes how alcohol harm in low-income settings is often tied not only to noncommunicable diseases, but also to infectious diseases, gender-based violence and interpersonal violence. It also stresses that heavy drinking can deepen already existing public health and social problems in vulnerable communities.

The film also lays out the methods used by major alcohol companies to grow their markets. These include aggressive marketing to young people and women, cheap entry-level products, mini-bottles and sachets, influencer promotion, social media campaigns and the use of cultural symbols, sport and national identity to normalise drinking. It also raises serious concerns about political interference, including claims that alcohol companies have helped write draft policies, excluded civil society, lobbied against stronger laws and, in some cases, bribed officials. In this way, the film presents the alcohol industry not as a passive market actor, but as an active force shaping regulation, public narratives and consumption patterns in its own interest.

Another strong theme in the video is inequality. It argues that while global alcohol companies extract large profits from low- and middle-income countries, the burden of harm stays local. The film links this pattern to colonial legacies and describes it as a form of neo-colonialism, where wealth flows north while social and health costs remain in the south. At the same time, the video does not end in resignation. It highlights resistance from civil society, including coalitions in countries such as the Philippines and South Africa, showing that organised public pressure can challenge industry influence. Its final message is clear: communities are already pushing back, but governments now need to show the same courage and act in defence of health, human rights and dignity.

Find more from Institute of Alcohol Studies (UK, March 2026)